The Moment
by PadfootIsMyHomeDawg
Summary: Companion piece to my full-length pic, Parsel. The moment Sirius and Remus laid eyes on Harry for the first time after the ten years he was missing, they were finally able to breathe again.
**Parsel is giving me some issues writing right now…I just can't seem to get past a block. I do have Chapter 26 written out, but I like to have some buffer of a couple of chapters before posting the next one, and I'm only a couple thousand words into Chapter 28, so after I figure out how to move past that block, I'll post Chapter 26. Thanks for your patience! I've already posted one oneshot since Chapter 25, but I figure posting this one can hold anyone over who cares about these oneshots in addition to the main fic.**

 **I've thought about writing this oneshot for a little while now, and finally got around to doing it. Seeing as I wrote when Harry first woke up and was then drugged back to sleep, I thought I should write a feel-good family fluff that would've happened soon after he went back out. So, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **…**

Remus and Sirius ran with all the speed they possessed from Dumbledore's office to the Hospital Wing. Hearts pounding, all they could think was how, in moments, they would be able to see the long-lost boy they so dearly loved. They didn't care how a night wanderer might happen upon them dashing through the halls, or how their sprinting woke up sleeping portraits on the way.

It seemed to take an age and yet no time at all to reach the Hospital Wing. Just outside the doors, they slowed to a walk, nervous at the thought of seeing Harry again.

"Why are we nervous?" Sirius muttered. "He's our godson."

Remus heard, though he didn't answer, feeling much the same way. Still excited however, they moved forward and pushed against the doors to step inside.

Sirius' eyes darted about the place, searching for a sleeping boy with dark hair, but then he saw a screen covering one of the beds near the back, and supposed that's where Harry was. Remus, having already reached this conclusion, was already walking forward toward the screen.

With trepidation, the two peered around opposite sides of the screen, eyes falling immediately on the boy.

Sirius' breath caught at the first sight of his godson in ten years. Tears of relief and joy filled his eyes as he gazed on the sleeping eleven-year-old. He looked so peaceful in sleep, so innocent, with hair tousled about him on the pillow and dark eyelashes gently brushing cheeks still slightly chubby from childhood. He was smaller than Sirius had expected an eleven-year-old to be – he was certain that James had been taller. But then, Lily had been a bit shorter than average, which is where he likely got his small stature from. He felt a gush of love pour out from him toward the child as he suddenly realized that he would be a parent to the boy now. He had wished to find this boy for ten years, and now he was here, and he felt the responsibility of it rest on his shoulders. But it wasn't a heavy weight to bear – for once, he was joyful to have a duty given to him. How could he not be happy that he would help raise the boy he had so dearly loved for so long?

When Remus first laid eyes on Harry, he sucked in a sharp breath – it seemed as though suddenly, after ten years, he could breathe normally again. He felt a pounding in his chest as he gazed at the child in front of him, deep love stirring within him. He felt a surge of protectiveness suddenly overtake him, not unlike when he had first laid eyes on him after he'd been born. He immediately knew that he would sooner cut out his own heart than let any harm or pain fall upon this boy. He could see hints of James and Lily both in his face, but for once the heartache of their deaths was eased a bit by the miracle that Harry had come back – that he was _alive_. Watching Harry's chest rise and fall with every breath, he knew that he could easily spend hours just watching him _live_.

Both of them could do nothing but gaze at Harry, mesmerized, taking a step forward to get closer, without the screen blocking the way. Sirius put a hand out, resting it on Harry's head ever so gently, as though he might break. Harry moved slightly, a distressed crease forming between his eyebrows, and Sirius rubbed his thumb comfortingly on one cheek. Harry settled just slightly, though he still looked distressed and his breathing was a bit faster than it had been moments before.

Then suddenly a brown snake rose from the opposite side of Harry, coming out from his hair and loudly letting out what was unmistakably a hiss of warning. Sirius remembered Dumbledore saying that there was a snake very protective of Harry with him, and put his hands up in surrender. Thinking on it, he was glad that he had been able to touch Harry as long as he had – though of course he wished to hug Harry tightly in his arms and never let go.

Remus stepped up beside him, slowly reaching out a hand toward Harry, keeping his eye on the snake the whole time.

"Can I…?" he asked it, nodding his head slightly to Harry. The snake hissed, quieter than before, and watched closely as Remus moved his arm to touch Harry as well. He looked at Harry then, eyes tearing with joy that he could finally touch the boy he so adored. The snake watched Remus the entire time, clearly to make sure that the boy it was protecting was safe.

For a moment, Harry remained the same as before, but then he shifted in the bed again, letting out an almost imperceptible whimper. Instantly the snake was hissing at Remus, clearly telling him to get away. Immediately Remus did, however reluctantly, putting up his hands the same way Sirius had moments before. The snake looked between them, and then Harry, before slithering to coil on his chest, watching the two the entire time.

"We're just going to sit here," Sirius explained to the snake, conjuring two chairs with his wand. "We won't touch him till he lets us, alright? We're just going to watch him."

The snake seemed to accept this, simply watching them both while they sat down. It seemed to be watching Remus more than Sirius, but that could've been their imaginations. After several minutes, the snake seemed to ease just slightly, and seeing Harry's now peaceful expression once more, they somehow knew that she was only calm in response to Harry.

They settled comfortably into the chairs then, ready to wait hours for the dearly loved boy they could finally see after ten years to awaken.

…

 **Aww so cute. I love writing about how much Sirius and Remus love Harry, and their actions that illustrate it. I thought about having Harry distressed in his sleep when they came in, and then Sirius or Remus touching him and he calms down, but I thought that wouldn't be in keeping with the original story, where it took a few weeks for Harry to relax around them both. So, I decided to throw in Sadi's reactions in there as a compromise. I totally love her protectiveness of Harry.**

 **Hope you guys loved it! Thanks for reading!**


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